


Photograph

by CominUnderFire



Category: Def Leppard
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:49:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29770926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CominUnderFire/pseuds/CominUnderFire
Summary: A photography project and an afternoon by the lake can expose more secrets than expected
Relationships: Joe Elliott/Rick Savage
Comments: 6
Kudos: 4





	Photograph

A small white cat layed down in the middle of that field full of purple flowers.

Sav approached it with small, cautious steps, camera in hand, trying not to make any noise so as not to alert the animal. He knelt on the grass, trying to find a better shot and lighting to photograph the little feline, who was now standing still and almost seemed to be posing for him.

Everything looked perfect, but he could barely press the camera button when the little animal ran to hide behind some bushes, startled by the rustling of leaves that a second figure caused with its footsteps when entering the scene.

The curly one leaned back, sitting on the floor. A sigh escaped his lips as an expression of disappointment grew on his face when he saw the animal disappear from his sight, then he looked down at the camera screen, checking that the photo he had just taken it had come out blurry.

His expression quickly changed to one of annoyance as he turned his head so he could see over his shoulder who had ruined the photo. He couldn't even get angry when he saw that the culprit was Joe, who was standing behind him with an innocent smile.

-Oops?

-I'm starting to think you're doing it on purpose -Sav complained. That was easily the fifth photo that he had ruined so far that afternoon- You are lucky to know how to put a convincing good boy face, otherwise I would have killed you long ago -he said, standing up.

-Na, you couldn't kill me, you love me too much -Joe said with a smile.

-Maybe, my life without you bothering me would be very boring -Savage said, walking past the blond.

-Yeah, you can deny it, but you know it's true -Joe said, starting to walk alongside his friend- So, have you had any luck with your photos or did all your models run away?

-Stop joking, Joe, this is serious. If I don't get something decent by Friday, I'm going to fail the whole semester -Sav complained.

That was his final art project. His grades depended on it.

-I told you that you shouldn't have choose photography as your project -Joe said- If you had chosen painting like me, you would have already finished.

-That's very easy to say being an artist, but for someone like me who barely knows how to draw geometric figures is not that simple -said the curly one.

Joe might not be the smartest kid in the world, but if you gave him a piece of paper and some colored pencils he could create amazing things.

-And still you keep telling me that drawing in class is useless in life -Elliott said.

Sav rolled his eyes at the comment and how proud his friend seemed of it.

-Yes, it's useful to fail everything else

-What you have is envy that I'm better than you at something -the blond replied in a childish tone. Sav rolled his eyes again at his friend's attitude.

-Okay, if you're not good at drawing, you could also have chosen the literature project, you're great at writing! -continued Elliott. The curly one quickly shook his head.

-I'm not that good -Sav said.

-Oh come on, I know you don't like to show off, but you can't deny that you write incredibly well -the blond insisted- What's wrong?

-It's just... Nothing, it's stupid

-Come on, tell me. I promise you that, whatever it is, I'm not going to laugh

-I'm embarrassed to let people read what I write

Sav tended to write in a very personal way, he felt that letting others read his manuscripts was exposing himself too much to strange people.

-You let me read it

-You are not just anyone

-That's sweetest thing someone had told in a long time -he said, placing his hand on his chest dramatically. Sav shook his head at that gesture, a small smile on his lips.

-Anyway, are you sure you know where we're going? We've been walking through the forest for almost ten minutes -Sav said, changing the subject.

Seeing how desperate his friend was, Joe had suggested going to the countryside to see if he could find some inspiration for his work. The blond had assured that he knew a great place, the kind that don't appear on the maps, but the curly was already beginning to doubt his friend's sense of direction. It had been a while since they had left the main road and started walking through the woods, and by now all the trees looked the same to him.

-Yes, calm down. The car cannot be more than fifty meters from here anyways, we are not going to get lost -said the blond trying to calm his friend- Look, it's here -he said pointing to the front where a clearing was glimpsed.

Joe took his friend by the arm, guiding him through the few meters that were left before leaving that wooded area.

Sav looked around in surprise. Before them and in the middle of that green grass, there was a lake of considerable size and crystal clear water. The beautiful sunny day it was only making the view better.

-Surprised? -the blond asked when he saw the expression on his friend's face.

-A lot -Savage answered- How do you know this place? Is it where you bring your dates to impress them? -he joked.

-I have better ways to impress them, believe me -Joe said sitting in front of the water and patting his side as a sign for Sav to join him- I have known this place for as long as I can remember, I come here from time to time, it is really quiet and has amazing views.

-Do you always come alone? -Sav asked. Joe nodded

-Except today that I have brought you -said the blond with a smile.

Sav felt his heart race at the thought of how, of all the people, Joe had brought him and only him to his special place. Maybe that meant...

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away, Joe had only taken him there to try to help him with his work.

Sitting by the lake, Joe played with the camera his friend had lent him between his hands, inspecting and checking how it worked before taking pictures of the landscape. Meanwhile Sav, sitting next to him, was busy looking at something that at first glance looked like a notebook to the blond.

Bored of photographing his surroundings, Joe put the camera aside and leaned over to Sav, prying at what the curly one was looking at. Sav closed what Joe, looking closer now, recognized as a photo album, almost the moment he noticed his friend looking at it.

-Is that what you have so far? -Elliott asked. Sav nodded- Can I see it?

Savage seemed to hesitate for a momento, but reopened the album to a random page, placing it between them so Joe could browse through it.

-There's nothing decent in it, I wouldn't even bother looking at it -Sav sighed, watching Joe turn the album pages.

Ignoring his comment, Joe carefully watched each shot. They weren't bad. On a technical level they were perfect, good lighting, good choice of colors... But he felt that they were missing something. They looked way too much like the typical sample pictures on their class books.

-You're a good photographer, but you need to give your work a little more personality -Joe commented- I think you're paying too much attention to what the teacher says looks good and little to what you think it would look good.

-And what do you think I should do then? -Sav asked curiously.

-I don't know, look for something that you really like and let your creativity flow out a little more -Joe said- I'm not an expert, but that's what I would do.

He kept turning the pages. A smile appeared on his face as his gaze crossed a series of specific photos. A series that starded out from the rest.

-Hey, there I am -he said, pointing to one of the pages. It was indeed him, several images of him dressed in the football team's uniform in the middle of their last training session.

-Yeah -Sav said shyly, his flushed cheeks indicating that he didn't mean for Joe to see those photos- I took them the day I was testing the camera. You looked good in them so I decided to save them.

That was partly true. He actually had taken those photos specifically because Joe looked really cute that day and he couldn't help but photographing him. But he didn't have to know that part.

Sav moved away from his friend and took the camera back from where the blond had left it.

-Are you going to sit there until you have a good idea? -Joe asked, putting the album aside and looking at his friend who seemed to be trying to think of something.

-Yes

-Then I better get comfortable because I think this is going to take a long time -Elliott said, leaning back so that his back was leaning against the tree behind him.

Sav began to review his work again, this time the images that he had taken this afternoon and that he had stored in the memory of the camera. He was even more disheartened when even the random photos his friend had taken while playing around with the camera seemed better than his own.

He looked at Joe who was now throwing pebbles into the lake. His expression was completely relaxed, the wind made his hair flutter slightly and the light that hit him from the front made the pale green of his eyes stand out.

Sav took the camera, focusing the lens on his distracted friend and taking several photos.

-You're ridiculously photogenic. Have someone ever told you that? -he said, drawing Joe's attention. Sav looked at the photos he had just taken of him. He had taken them by surprise and yet he looked amazing.

Joe approached his friend, browsing the pictures that Sav had taken.

-You see how good a photographer you are. Those are great -Joe pointed out.

-You only say that because you are in them.

-I'm not that egocentric -the blond complained.

Sav smiled looking at the small screen of the camera.

-I have an idea, but I'm going to need your help

-My help? What do I have to do? -asked Joe curious.

-You could model for me -Sav said. Joe looked at him, surprised by his proposal.

-Are you serious?

-Well, you said that I should look for something that I liked right? -Savage said almost without thinking.

-And you like me or what? -Joe laughed, but seeing that the curly one far from following him had landed his gaze on the ground, playing restlessly with the camera in his hands, giving him the impression that it had not been a joke but a secret unintentionally confessed, his expression changed to one of disbelief.

He opened his mouth trying to say something about it, but no sound came out of it. His brain seemed to struggle to accept this new information.

-Since when? -was all he managed to formulate.

-Since we started high school -Sav confessed.

-Oh my god -Joe snapped. That was a long time, years of secret love- Why didn't you tell me anything?

-I didn't think you had any interest in me, outside of friendship and I thought you were going to get angry -Savage explained- And I can live without you loving me but not without you talking to me.

Hearing that broke his heart. It felt horrible knowing how long his friend had been keeping something like that, it felt even worse knowing that he had indirectly made his friend suffer by somehow making him believe that for confessing something like that he was going to hate him, when that was really far from his real reaction.

-I'm sorry -he heard Sav say. The younger wiped away some tears, that he didn't know when had came out, with the back of his hand, refusing to look at his friend out of shame.

Joe looked at him confused.

-Why are you apologizing?

-This was supposed to be an entertaining afternoon, we should be laughing and not talking about feelings that I should have never had -said the curly one- Just forget that I said this, please

Joe approached his friend. He took him by the chin, lifting his face so he faced him. Sav didn't resist but kept avoiding his gaze, his blue eyes shining with the tears that threatened to come out. Elliott raised his left hand, landing it on Sav's cheek, gently wiping away a few tears that were already running down them.

-Never apologize for your feelings, Sav -said the blond.

-Aren't you angry? -he asked with fear.

-Angry? God, no -Joe said- Honestly, right now I'm doubting between kissing you or giving you a little cheesy speech about my feelings. What do you think would make things clearer?

-This is not funny -Sav said, pushing his friend away from him. He was already feeling bad enough for Joe to make fun of him.

-I wasn't kidding -he said this time with a serious expression.

-What?

-I may not have been in love with you for six years, but that doesn't mean that I am not -Joe said, approaching again- You have never been just a friend to me, Sav.

-You mean...? -Sav began with a glint of hope in his eyes. Joe nodded.

-And, well, I'm single, you're single. I like you, You like me. I don't know, we could go out this Saturday, go to the cinema or something -Joe suggested.

-Are you asking me on a date?

-That's exactly what I'm doing -said Joe- But with one condition -Sav nodded slowly, all his attention fixed on the blond and feeling nervous about what his next words would be- Let me kiss you

Sav smiled, leaning towards the taller one.

-You don't have to ask permission to do it.

-I know, but I wanted to do it right -he said against his lips.

In a quick movement he brought their mouths together, kissing him in the most tender way he could. He wanted to show Sav everything he felt for him with that gesture.

-I love you -Sav sighed when they broke away from the kiss. For a moment he felt that he shouldn't have said that so soon, but when he saw the smile on Joe's face he felt that everything was fine.

-I love you too, Savvy -Joe replied, then placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

He then he moved away from the other boy, getting up and holding out his hand to the curly to help him do the same.

-Come on, we'll better go home now, it's getting late -Joe said once they both were on their feet. Sav nodded, letting Joe take his hand and lead him out of that place.

-Tell me, do you still want me to help you with your work? -the blond asked halfway.

-Yes, actually I had suddenly come up with several ideas for which I would need your help -said the curly one- As long as you don't mind spending a couple more afternoons like this with me.

-Believe me, I can't think on a better plan.


End file.
